Cook Leader

Summary

This position is located in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, Naval Air Station Meridian, MS. The purpose of this position is that of Cook Leader, who has daily direct responsibility for the food and beverage operation.

Duties

• In order to qualify for this position, resumes must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of the position. Applicant resumes are the key means for evaluating skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position therefore, applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing experience. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES: Performs the daily operation of the Food Department. Conducts food preparation, stocking, dispensing, inventory, food safety, scheduling, and sanitation. Establishes work assignments for supervisor's/manager's approval and verifies cooks' attendance. Implements and maintains cost control measurements, developed with management. Prepares and serves a variety of meats, poultry, seafood, soups, hors oeuvres, vegetables, sauces, and gravies using a full range of quantity cooking procedures common or frequently used with new or different recipes. Prepares on a day to day basis, four or more menu items for one meal which involves planning and coordinating a variety of steps to ensure that all items are ready for serving at the same time; or prepares menu items using special or difficult recipes involving many steps, ingredients, or long preparation time. Works independently or with a full team of employees, as required. Assists in setting PAR stock and rotation needs. Plans and prepares for special menus, catering and special events. Receives merchandise required to prepare and dispense menu items. Works along with other employees, sets the pace, and demonstrates proper work methods. Ensures information is passed on to other employees from management. Checks work while in progress and when finished to ensure the Food and Beverage Manager's instruction on work sequence, procedure, methods and deadlines are met. Ensures all food and equipment and other consumables are cleaned and maintained in accordance with the Medical Department Sanitation standards. Ensures all safety and housekeeping rules are followed. Ensures all operations are ready and in proper condition for the monthly inventories and inspections. Leads NA-4 Food Service Workers and NF-2 Mobile Sales Clerks in the performance of normal duties. Assists in preparing work schedules, making adjustments and changes as needed. Provides training and guidance to staff. Helps screen applicants for employment in the food department Opens and/or closes facility on assigned shift. Participates in monthly inventories. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Resumes must include information which demonstrates experience and knowledge, skills, and ability (KSAs) as they relate to this position. Applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing their experience level and KSAs. All non-government positions identified on your resume must include complete address and to and from dates. Government positions must include pay plan, series, grade, to and from dates and address of the agency/organization. A qualified candidate must possess the following: Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent education. Must possess a minimum of one year experience as a cook. Must remain current with 5-year Food Safety Certification. Ability to motivate other team members to accomplish assigned tasks. Prior supervisory experience is desired. Skill in planning, coordinating, and following time sequence steps to prepare food on time without overcooking or waste; ability to adjust recipes for servings required; recognize characteristics of food in deciding that raw materials are fresh; and judge prepared food by color, consistency, temperature, odor and taste. Knowledge in food inventory and control techniques. Knowledge of all types of food, safe food practices, and recipes. Familiar with Microsoft Office programs or similar programs Ability to be congenial, maintain a friendly disposition, well-groomed in appearance, have the ability to speak with authority and confidence, and able to express thoughts in writing and through instruction. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. As part of the application process, you must complete and submit an occupational questionnaire and your RESUME MUST SUPPORT AND VALIDATE YOUR ANSWERS or you may be removed from consideration. ONLY THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE REFERRED. IF MANAGEMENT DOES NOT WISH TO SELECT A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE, THEY MAY REQUEST A REFERRAL LIST INCLUDING WELL OR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating and/or appointment eligibility. PLEASE READ THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY TO ENSURE ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE ADDRESSED IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE. RELOCATION: NO Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest KEY REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Males must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. https://www.sss.gov/register/ Selectee must be determined suitable for federal employment. Selectee may be required to successfully complete a probationary period. Selectee is required to participate in the direct deposit pay program. Social Security Card is required. Satisfactorily complete an employment verification (E-VERIFY) check. As of May 7, 2025, The REAL ID act requires visitors to have a REAL ID or passport to access to Government Facilities. This will be a requirement for employment. A favorable background is a requirement of this position. Failure to obtain and maintain a favorable background may result in the withdrawal of the position offer or removal. NOTE: Applicants have the ability to perform an E-Verify Self Check to confirm employment eligibility at http://www.uscis.gov/mye-verify/self-check. Although a Self-Check is not mandatory, it can be a useful tool for applicants to find out if there is a problem with their employment eligibility records and resolve any issues before taking a job.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

How to apply

To begin the process, click on the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USA JOBS account. Application process is submitted through your USA JOBS account. Resumes/ Applications received other than by USA JOBS will be destroyed and will not be considered. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify all the information in their resume and documents; HR will not modify documents submitted by an applicant. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in the resume. Qualifications must be clearly verifiable in your resume. Government positions must include pay plan, series, grade, to and from dates, and government agency/department. Where a first cut-off date is indicated, a selection may be made from the resumes/applications received as of the specified first cut-off date. Completed applications (resume, supporting documentation, etc.) must be received by 11:59pm Eastern Time on the cut-off/closing date. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received will be reviewed. Please see the "REQUIRED DOCUMENTS" section and review the applicant checklist link to determine if there are other documents you are required to submit. You must submit all required documentation or you will not be considered for the position. Failure to submit all the required documentation may result in not be considered for the position. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/17/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13050504 It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Applicant To verify or check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account. Once logged in, the Welcome screen lists your applications, your application status and the date it was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status